Sandbars....ARGH!

10/2/12

Day 1

To avoid a tree snag, we zigged instead of zagging and ended up on a sandbar on the Apalachicola river - Mile 78

Lollygag at a heel stuck on a sandbar

Maybe if we take an anchor out an use the new winch....
Nope!

Maybe if we use an oar to shovel a path....
Nope!

Maybe if we take the big anchor out and use the windless...
Nope!

So close to the deep water and we can't get there!

Day 2; October 3, 2012

Navy Reserves try to help......Nope!

Sheriff's office came out to check on us, but couldn't pull us off.

We called Florida Game and Fish, but they didn't have a boat big enough.

We called all towing places and no one served this area!

So, Captain called Sea Tow from Eufaula and explained the situation.

Day 3

Sea Tow to the rescue!

Those 3 guys and little boat knew what they were doing!

Surveying the situation

Almost off....yeah!

.....And we're off

10-1-2012 on the Apalachicola

We are anchored just above Blountstown. 

No pictures today because it was rainy and we only moved two miles downstream.

Check out this link via Google Earth of the Apalachicola River. You can see all the sandbars we hope to get through tomorrow.

NOAA website predicts about 0.7 feet ..... wish us luck!

Chattahoochee, FL 9/30/2012

Link to dock in Chattahoochee via Google Earth

Lollygag at the dock.
We usually don't stay at a dock, but this one was free with electric!

This is an Indian mound from 1450 - 1650AD.
It was a residential mound and is surrounded by live oak trees.

Really?? You need a sign??
Finally a rule I can live with :)

Captain attaching an additional depth sounder in preparation for going through Blountstown (on the way up, we got stuck 4 times)

Ragweed lined both banks of the river. The color contrast was beautiful if you don't have allergy's.

9/29/12 Woodruff Lock

"Save our Lake"

"Save our Lake"

Once the locals found out the Locks would be closing on October 7th 2012, they organized a protest and decided to lock through as many boats as they could.

And, yep....that was the day we were going through. It was a hoot!

Boats were floating around all over with people swimming and hollering back and forth.
This picture is waiting for the upper gates to open.

We were in the Lock with 23 other boats

Both gates weren't even open before the mass exodus began.

Rebel party barge - yahoo

Eufaula, AL wildlife refuge to Bainbridge, GA : 9-24-12 to 9/28/12

Monday, 9/24/12

Down the twisty Chattahoochee

Going down in the Walter F George Lock -
its the big one....88 feet - going down is even faster than going up

Bird brains waiting at the overflow for a easy pickin meal

Heron waiting for a fish to float by- they can stand incredibility still for a long time

First anchorage on the Chattahoochee at mile 60

Link to anchorage via Google Earth

9/25/12 - continuing on the "hooch"

Continuing going down 25 feet at the George F Andrews Lock 

Birds walk the Lock gates looking for fish

Holy Symphony Batman!
The lower you went, the louder ALL the bollards squeaked!

Anchorage  at mile 31

Anchorage via Google Maps

9-26-12

Back through the hydrilla on Lake Seminole

We didn't get stuck this time going through

The birds love the hydrilla 

Anchorage on the Flint River mile 2.4
Anchorage via Google Earth

9/27/12

Day of rest to watch the wildlife

9-28-12

Up the Flint River to Bainbridge, GA

The water has been low for so long that the stumps are beginning to grow

The Flint River is very soothing and peaceful

Just 2 years later, the stumps are becoming trees

There's Bainbridge Marina and the ramp where Lollygag was launched

At the fuel dock

Bainbridge Marina via Google Earth

Funny for us was that the friends we went to visit were gone to a wedding, so we only spent one night.....dang! I hate when that happens.